BGCI has entered a new five year partnership with the Society for Ecological Restoration (SER) to promote effective and high quality biodiversity outcomes from global restoration initiatives.

SER is a dynamic global network of over 4,000 institutions and individual members who foster the exchange of knowledge and expertise among ecological restoration practitioners and scientists from diverse disciplines and backgrounds. SER works to ensure that ecological restoration is recognized and utilized as a fundamental component of global conservation, biodiversity, and sustainable development programs, and that ecological restoration projects are designed and implemented in a way that provides people with the opportunity to not only repair ecological damage, but also improve the human condition.

“BGCI has been part of the SER network since 2015 and there are a lot of synergies between the work of our organisations and our broader network of members. We’re excited to have a formal partnership in place with SER and to be moving forwards with the many different projects and initiatives we have identified in our joint five-year Memorandum of Understanding.

A closer relationship with SER will help to connect members of the botanical community with restorationists, creating partnerships that achieve stronger biodiversity outcomes in restoration projects.”

– Kirsty Shaw, Head of Ecological Restoration and Tree Conservation at BGCI.

To ensure high biodiversity outcomes from global restoration efforts, SER will work with BGCI to:

• Promote and develop best practices guiding the use of threatened and endangered plant species in ecological restoration where appropriate
• Create policy-position publications on what constitutes a native species
• Develop joint training courses on restoration, including biodiverse forest restoration
• Collaboratively promote and apply The Global Biodiversity Standard, which provides assurance that land management interventions such as tree planting, habitat restoration and agroforestry practices are protecting, safeguarding, and restoring biodiversity, rather than inadvertently causing harm

BGCI and SER will also share and promote tools, resources, and publications. SER’s International Principles & Standards for the Practice of Ecological Restoration provides a robust framework for restoration projects to achieve intended goals, while addressing challenges including effective design and implementation, accounting for complex ecosystem dynamics (especially in the context of climate change), and navigating trade-offs associated with land management priorities and decisions. BGCI members might also be particularly interested in the International Standards for Native Seeds in Ecological Restoration (tiered to the International Standards), which provide guidance for sourcing, using, and producing native seed for restoration.

“SER is thrilled to formalize our long collaborative history with BGCI through a Memorandum of Understanding,” announced Bethanie Walder, SER Executive Director.

“BGCI takes strategic and effective approaches to both protecting and recovering biodiversity, and this MOU will enable us to deepen our partnerships and coordinate more effectively, to achieve both of our missions while also addressing the biodiversity and climate crises.”

BGCI members are invited to join SER to further advance knowledge-sharing and network-building world-wide. For more information, visit https://www.ser.org/page/Membership or contact Laura Capponi, SER’s Director of Membership and Strategic Development at laura@ser.org to learn more about special rates for BGCI members.

Membership in SER includes membership in SER Global and a regional chapter of your choice. SER Membership grants you access to a network of over 4,000 restoration professionals representing 100 countries. Additionally, all memberships include subscriptions to Restoration Ecology, access to the conference video and webinar libraries, complimentary webinars led by experts in the restoration field, and reduced pricing on world conferences.